Annie Get Your Gun

When going on a trip meeting diverse people if often happens that the stories turn to guns. This being an ‘iffy’ subject, it is usually not wise to talk too much about my own gun stories in the presence of the ladies.
As long as I remember, following post-WWII, we were confronted by situations having to protect ourselves, not only because of the presence of American Army GI ‘s everywhere in Germany. Frankfurt – a hot place then – dangerous. I needed to spend one week a month on a post-grad IT course. Everybody had to carry some protection – be it only a little Walther UP1 tear gas pistol.**
[** Story about the tear gas pistol: In the 1970’s in Germany it happened that a very angry taxpayer went into the Federal Tax Department office, pulling out his tear gas pistol, shooting at close range into the tax inspector’s face, injuring his eyes. Law came into place, to make those guns illegal. Also, because owners of such devices modified them for shooting.]

Another gun story – [ Its ‘journey’ around the world started in The Netherlands. In the approx. 1960s. The little hand gun, a Browning caliber 7.65mm European model, here the .32 ACP [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.32_ACP ] belonged to my husband who spent years in the Indonesian war theater Koninklijke Marines Java/Indonesia long before I met him. That gun followed me around the world, ending up here. The RCMP got this gun 1980’s, it’s somewhere. ]
Years in Alberta will teach anybody in the country a bit about the long rifle. We all had them. Hunting moose and deer in winter, and shooting grouse in fall for Thanksgiving. Shotgun, hunting rifle, 22 and more. [That was all legal at that time, in conjunction with an FAC = Firearms Acquisition Certificate, and a wildlife license for hunting.] In between the periods of the Canadian Gun registry program [ http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/online_en-ligne/reg_enr-eng.htm ] . I still believe that the Province of Alberta brought down that (terribly expensive) gun registry program.
My long rifles from Alberta ending up on the coast here, and all legally sold to a gunsmith in the Highlands. Myself, am collecting antiques and collectors items now, wherever I travel. My favorites from the Franklin Mint Collectors Society: Exact re-creations of the Wyatt Earp .44 Smith & Wesson Revolver; and General Custer’s Colt .36 Model 1861 Navy Revolver. Both of these modified, so that they cannot chamber ammo.
Present regulations [ http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/form-formulaire/index-eng.htm ].